New wind farm & gas-fired facility planned
171 towers planned on 14,798 acres in Morrow & Gilliam Counties
By David Sykes
Bessie Wetzel I Newspaper Library
University of Oregon
Eugene. OR 97403
A new 171-tower wind
farm and a gas fired generat
ing plant are being planned
for Morrow County.
The w ind facility w ill be
located on private land 20
miles south of the Columbia
River between Eightmile
Canyon and Highway 74 in
HEPPNER
Location of gas generating plant near Boardman
imes
V O L . 128
N O . 41
8 P ag es
W ed nesday, O ctober 21, 2 0 0 9
M orrow County, H eppner, O regon
both Morrow and Gilliam
County.
Called Saddle Butte
Wind Park it has a gen
erating capacity o f 565
megawatts and will cover
14,798 acres of privately
owned agricultural land,
with 8,238 acres in Gil
liam and 6,560 in Morrow
County. The facility plans
to connect at Bonneville
Power Administration’s
Slatt Switching Station
about 20 miles away.
Saddle Butte LLC sub
mitted a notice of intent
with the Oregon Energy
Siting Council on August
7, 2009, and is now wait
ing for certification for the
project.
The project is expected
to employ approximately
250 workers during con
struction, and then have
25 permanent jobs upon
completion.
Also on tap is a new
gas-fired generating plant
to be built next to the PGE
coal-fired plant near Board-
man.
This generating facility
will produce 900 mega
watts of electricity using
natural gas from an existing
pipeline operated by Gas
Transmission Northwest
Corporation located 15 to
25 miles to the south. The
generator would use 150
million cubic feet of natural
gas per day.
The plant w ill be located
on about 55 acres of land
near the Carty Reservoir
about 15 miles from Board-
man next to PGE’s existing
coal plant.
PGE submitted a letter
of intent to build the plant
with the Oregon Energy
Siting Council on August
26. It is estimated that 20
people will be employed
when the facility is opera
tional.
Health Department readies for
H1N1
vaccine
arrival
5. Healthcare workers and law enforcement.
County Health officials say more H1N 1 flu vaccine is
on the way, they just don’t know when it will get here.
Morrow County Public Health Director Sheree Smith
says the new vaccine may arrive in two to three weeks
and at that time her department will be going into every
school in Morrow County to start the H1N1 immuniza
tions. “As soon as vaccine arrives we will notify the
schools. Information will be sent to parents along with
consent forms.” Smith said. “We will start w ith the grade
schools first and work through the County to the High
Schools. Those w ithin the target groups are welcome to
receive vaccination at all school clinics as well as at all
regular Health Department Clinics. The majority of the
vaccine is coming in the flu mist formulation. Therefore
all healthy individuals aged 2-24 will be receiving this
method of vaccination. “You cannot get the flu from the
mist,” Smith emphasized.
The target groups for H1N 1 vaccination are:
1. Pregnant women
2. Household members and caregivers of infants
less than 6 months of age.
3. Children 6 months through 24 years of age.
4. Persons age 25-64 years who have health condi
tions associated with higher risk of complications
from influenza.
Smith also gave some guidelines if someone does
get the flu. People should stay home out of contact with
other people so as not to spread the disease. They should
rest and drink plenty of fluids. “Be alert for complications
of the illness. Call a doctor right aw ay if the ill person
has:
1. Difficulty breathing/fast breathing
2. Has a bluish color to the skin or lips.
3. Begins coughing up blood.
4. Complains of pain or pressure in the chest.
5. Shows signs of dehydration and cannot take enough
fluids.
6. Appears confused or does not respond appropri
ately.
7. Has convulsions.
8. Gets worse after appearing to improve.
9. Is an infant under 2 months old with fever, poor
feeding, urinating less than 3 diapers a day or other
New wind farm planned for Morrow & Gilliam Counties
signs of illness.
(shaded
areas).
Otherw ise just stay home and let it run its course,” she
said. “It may take three to five days to get through it.” She
said people w ho get sick should stay home 24 hours after
their fever breaks without any fever reducing medications
continued on page 2
Garrett, Winters fill buck tags
Mayci Garrett of Heppner recently shot her first buck, a 3x4
taken from the Columbia Basin unit. Contributed Photo
lone School repairs
nearing completion
percent of our students out
Repairs to the gym for one reason or another,
floor caused by flooding and of those about half are
from an unfinished roof, flu related,” he said. He
are nearing completion, added they are teaching
lone Superintendent Karl preventative measures to
Ostheller told the school the children and staff, and
doing extra cleaning around
board Monday night.
the
school. He also said
Ostheller said the
they
are asking that parents
floor had been replaced and
keep
their children at home
the next step was sanding,
for
24
hours after the fever
painting and varnishing. In
has
broken.
fact the night of the board
Ostheller said that
meeting crews were work
now
that
the pool is shut
ing on sanding the gym
down
he
has
started to track
floor. Ostheller said the
floor was scheduled to be water loss. The swimming
finished October 30 and to pool had some problems
use on, or around, Novem with leakage and he has
contacted contractors who
ber 4.
The gym floor was he thinks should be able to
brand new when it was take a look at the problem
damaged in August. The in the early part of Novem
gym roof was also in the ber.
It w as also reported
process of being replaced
that
the
district had signed
w
hen
a
tarp
came
off
dur
Former Heppner resident and current Bend resident Travis
Winters shot this buck in the Heppner Unit. -Contributed ing a storm causing severe labor contracts w ith both
Photo
water damage to the floor. its teachers and classified
At that time the project employees. They are both
The Heppner Gazelle-Times wants to see manager
said that floor one year agreements. The
pictures of your trophy animals from this samples indicated signifi last contracts w ere fiv e year
cant readings of moisture in agreements, but the board
hunting season. Stop by to have your picture the
and under the va w as told state w ide contract
taken, drop off photos, or email them to por wood
barrier. Insurance will lengths in school districts
cover replacement of a new have been getting shorter.
editor(d rap idserve. net.
In other business
floor which is estimated to
the board was given a slide
be around $81.000.
O sth eller also show presentation of a bi
reported
that flu has not ology and natural resouree
restricted and the closure Recovery and Reinvest
seemed
to
hit the school too classes’ recent field trip to
will be strictly enforced ment Act(ARRA) Stimulus hard. “Generally
we have Christmas Valiev.
Funding.
during this period.
had
between
five
and ten
Local residents w ill
be allowed access subject to
following traffic control
measures necessary at the
ea.
time.
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By David Sykes
M.C. Public Works announces Rhea Creek road closure
According to Mor
row County Public Works
Director Burke O'Brien,
due to paving on Rhea
Creek, the section of Rhea
Creek road from Highway
207 at Ruggs to the Junction
of Sanford Canyon is closed
to everything except local
traffic. The closure began
October 19 and will con
tinue through October 30.
The primary detour
route will be Basey Canyon,
Sanford Canyon Route.
All traffic of any
kind with the exception of
those local residents will be
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